Pennsylvania State Police at Dunmore are investigating a tech-support scam that defrauded a 79-year-old local woman out of $10,000.
According to troopers, the scheme began when a fraudulent pop-up message appeared on the victim's device, claiming to be an urgent alert from Microsoft Security. The message falsely stated that her computer or phone had been severely compromised by viruses and suspicious activity. Following the prompt on the screen, the victim called the provided number and spoke with a scammer posing as a Microsoft technician. The fraudulent technician then convinced the woman that she needed to pay a substantial fee using Bitcoin to secure her device.
State police are using this incident to remind the public that legitimate tech companies like Microsoft will never demand payment in cryptocurrency or gift cards. Officials warn that if you encounter any unexpected pop-up messages that feel urgent, threatening, or suspicious, it is almost certainly a scam and you should immediately disconnect.
